The Land Rover Defender may be highly capable off-road, but it also has a renown of being a slow vehicle.

UK-based aftermarket specialist Wildcat has solved this problem by replacing the stock diesel engine and gearbox with a Chevrolet Corvette-sourced 6.2-liter LS3 V8 petrol engine and a GM 6L80 six-speed automatic gearbox.

In standard form, the engine produces 430 hp and more than 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque at 4,700 rpm. However, if the owner doesn’t find that enough, Wildcat Automotive offers additional power upgrades providing over 550 hp. The company says the six-speed automatic transmission features a unique inbuilt “intelligent” control module, allowing the gearbox to adjust parameters accordingly.

The existing vehicle management system is reprogrammed to the new engine and gearbox, which means that all existing instruments and controls are the same as in the standard Defender. Once the engine is started though, everyone will know this is not an ordinary Defender.

Story references: Wildcat Automotive via Autoblog

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